Misplaced Pages

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Kingturtle (talk | contribs) at 03:09, 6 May 2003 (you don't have to keep this change, but SOMETHING has to be added to clue a new reader in more quickly regarding what this article is in reference to). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

There's No Disgrace Like Home was the fourth non short Simpsons episode released on television.

Synopsis

Homer and his family attend a picnic at Montgomery Burns' house, where they are shown as hostile and selfish in comparison to another family. Homer becomes discouraged about his family and takes them out to look at other families in the neighborhood, which seem happy and picturesque in comparison. At the second house, a man hears them outside and fires at them with a shotgun; they run away and return home. Homer goes to Moe's Tavern; police arrive looking for the family of Peeping Toms and leaves, though the dog is growling at Homer. Homer gets in a fight with Barney Gumble and sees a commercial for Dr. Marvin Monroe's family counseling.

Homer returns home, takes the family television to a pawn shop, and then he and his family go to counseling. The family draws their feelings: Marge, Lisa, and Bart all draw Homer, indicating that he is the source of their anger; Homer draws a plane dropping bombs. They get into an argument, Homer grabs a lamp to throw; Dr. Monroe takes it from him and gives them all padded sticks to hit each other with, which works until Bart removes the padding and hits Dr. Monroe on the shin. Dr. Monroe then hooks them up to electroshock machines intending to subject them to aversion therapy and cure them of their anger and antagonism: Dr. Monroe that each of them have the ability to shock the others and so should soon learn to avoid doing so.

Instead, they shock each other repeatedly, causing the power to dim; Dr. Monroe panics and unplugs the machine. Homer demands double his money back, in accordance with Dr. Monroe's promise on his advertisement, and takes the $500 to buy a new television.

This episode marks the introduction of Dr. Marvin Monroe, Itchy and Scratchy, and Eddie and Lou (two of Springfield's policemen). But Lou is not African-American, though he is later, and Smithers drawn as an African-American in the previous episode, is drawn a yellow lighter than Burns in this one. This episode also marks the first use of Burns' "release the hounds" comment.

Memorable Quotes

Homer: "I'm sorry, Marge, but sometimes I think we're the worst family in town." Marge: "Well maybe we should move to a larger community."

Parodies

• Freaks, the Tod Browning cult horror film about sideshow "freaks"
• Citizen Kane in its low angle hillside shot of Burns' mansion
• Batman in its reference to the "stately Burns mansion"